Implementation Strategies for Promoting Physical Activity in Under-Resourced South African Schools: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Learners in under-resourced South African schools face substantial barriers to physical activity (PA). Schools provide a feasible platform for PA promotion in disadvantaged communities where alternative recreational opportunities are scarce. This scoping review synthesised implementation strategies, barriers, facilitators, and evidence gaps regarding school-based PA promotion in under-resourced South African schools. Methods: Guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, this review is reported following PRISMA-ScR and PRISMA-S guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost (SPORTDiscus, ERIC, CINAHL, and Academic Search Complete) were searched as electronic databases, while Google Scholar (via Publish or Perish) was searched separately as a supplementary source for eligible peer-reviewed studies and the formal institutional grey literature published between January 2010 and June 2026. Eligible studies examined structured PA interventions in government-funded primary and secondary schools in under-resourced settings. Data were extracted using a standardised form, synthesised descriptively, and appraised using the appropriate Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklists. Results: Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Most interventions were curriculum-integrated and delivered during school hours through Physical Education, Life Orientation, classroom activity breaks, or multicomponent programmes. Common barriers included inadequate infrastructure, limited teacher capacity, competing academic demands, constrained instructional time, and challenges in implementation fidelity. Key facilitators included curriculum alignment, teacher training and support, learner engagement, provision of low-cost resources, and culturally appropriate programme delivery. Conclusions: This review mapped the implementation strategies for school-based physical activity in under-resourced South African schools. Curriculum integration, educator support, stakeholder engagement, and low-cost, contextually appropriate approaches were reported as facilitators of programme implementation, whereas resource constraints and limited implementation capacity remained persistent barriers. Given the heterogeneity of the evidence, these findings should be interpreted as reported influences of implementation rather than as established determinants of programme success. Future research should strengthen the evidence base by evaluating interventions in secondary schools and examining implementation fidelity and long-term sustainability.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Children, 2026 · DOI ↗